Today, Lord Saatchi backed called for a Royal Commission on the NHS. His call is very welcome.

The Liberal Democrats have long called for a cross party NHS and Care Convention, bringing together stakeholders from across the political spectrum, along with staff, patient groups and members of the public to look at how we can tackle the funding and workforce pressures on the service in the long term.

Tribal politics has failed to provide a solution to the existential challenges facing the NHS and social care.

The winter crisis of the past few weeks is unfortunate proof that the current situation is unsustainable, and these pressures will only get worse as we contend with an ageing population and rising demand for care and treatment.

In the interim the government should also back Liberal Democrat calls to add a penny in the pound on income tax to raise a vital £6bn a year cash injection for our NHS and social care.